Are you already in a good position with your wealth? I know I am. But I am also in the tipping point where I am pretty much fully invested and my time is scarce. How could I still tip the scale towards moving forward rather than staying put or even going backwards?
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There’s a strange space in real estate investing that nobody really warns you about. It’s not the beginning, where you scramble for your first deal with a weird mix of enthusiasm and spreadsheets. And it’s not the end, where you’re cruising on passive income, drinking cappuccinos in some sun-soaked location pretending to enjoy early retirement. It’s the messy middle. The “good problem” stage. Where you technically have a decent net worth, but have limited cash and capacity to do anything with it?
The Trap of Being Fully Invested
Here’s the reality: when most of your capital is tied up in properties that look good on paper but don’t spit out enough monthly cash to fuel the next move — you stall.
Worse, if you’re also juggling family life, a side hustle (or a full-blown business), and a never-ending renovation in one of your rentals, time becomes this abstract concept. You know, like free parking in city centers.
So here you are. Some would say financially in a “good place”. Yet one could feel like a person who’s loaded their grocery cart with everything they need for a gourmet dinner, only to realize they can’t afford the checkout… and the store is closing in 10 minutes.
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What Now? Sell? Refinance? Cry?
Let’s be honest — the temptation to “do something” is strong. Sell a unit? Maybe. Refinance aggressively? Possible, but interest rates look at you like an ex who’s not ready to be civil. Cry a little? Already done. Moving on.
List of different options:
• Refinance one property to free up equity and fund the next deal. Risk: Overleveraging. Reality: Might have to deal with another appraiser who thinks renovated unit is “fine, but lacks character.”
• Partner up on future deals with someone who has money but no time. Wait, that’s me… but in reverse.
• Just chill for a year. Consolidate. Improve current portfolio. Boring, but maybe wise.
• Sell one property and upgrade. Sounds smart, but also means letting go of a well-performing asset that finally stopped leaking, both physically and financially.
No silver bullet. Just trade-offs.
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The Mindset Shift: It’s Still a Game of Inches
Here’s what I’ve realized: this isn’t failure. It’s just a phase.
Investing isn’t always about going bigger. Sometimes the boldest move is not adding another property, but fixing the systems that make your current ones hum better.
Tight on time? Delegate more. Tight on money? Maybe wait. Maybe squeeze. Maybe shuffle. Maybe just breathe.
This tipping point isn’t a sign to retreat. It’s a sign to adjust — to recalibrate your next move with intention instead of ego.
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Final Thought: Build or Float?
The scale doesn’t always tip because you made a heroic leap. Sometimes it tips because you adjusted just enough weight, at just the right time, to keep the whole thing moving forward.
So if you’re here with me — short on money, short on time, but long on lessons — keep building. Even if just slowly. Even if today’s win is just not doing something dumb out of impatience.
That counts too. Over and out.